Archive for the ‘Helms Deep’ Category

It appears update 14 brought not only Gondor to us, it also brought back the challenge of T2 and T2C instances!

The last couple of years the level of challenge in instances has been reduced, time and time again. It started with RoR, and went completely overboard in HD. This, along with other factors such as the Trait trees, and Turbines decision to not make any traditional instanced group content drove away many people from the game. But with update 14 something happened.

Our tactical mitigation contribution from Vitality had already been removed in an earlier update, but given the difficulty of T2 and T2C stuff, this was probably not something many thought of. And then comes update 14, which has increased the difficulty in instanced group content significantly.

While T1 is still pretty easy, T2 and T2C content has been ramped up so much, that there’s been several topics created around it on the official forums.

But there’s not just complints, as even in these threads, people are not only saying that despite the increased difficulty these instances can be completed by a good group, they’re actually showing it. In fact, there’s a thread created for just that purpose! I can’t even remember the last time there was one of those threads on the official forums.

There has also been several threads created just to thank Turbine for giving us the challenge back in instances.
Like this one, and this one.

I haven’t had much time to do instances myself since U14, and the ones I have done have been T1’s, but I can’t wait to try out some of the old instances again with the difficulty ramped up. It was so long ago since Lotro had a real challenge, so I will probably suck pretty badly until I get into it again. Just imagine, you might actually have instances where you need stat food, potions, scrolls and hope tokens. Where you actually have to pay attention to interupts and corruptions. Where you might actually wipe your group if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing.

After Helms Deep I only levelled up 2 out of my 10 chars at 85 to 95, it just felt like there was absolutely no reason whatsoever to level the rest. Now, I have started to level my alts again, because I just can’t wait to get my hands on these “new” challenges.

Let’s just hope that Turbine doesn’t listen to the few complainers (that probably should stay with the T1 instances) and nerf everything back in to oblivion before I get my chars capped and geared.

So thanks to CSTM’s facebook page, I found this, a collection of screenshots from Lotro, all the way back from early beta.

I started playing Lotro in January 2009, and has since then managed to snap almost 1000 screenshots. I recently went through all my old computers/harddrives, to make sure none of my old screenshots would get lost.

So why not share a bunch of them?

2009-11-20 – The very first screenshot I found, may very well have been the first I took. My hunter posing in Evendim

2009-11-22 – Oh, that old place! Probably the first time I ventured in there

2009-12-12 – Planning raids and smoking pipes in the Kinhsip house

2010-01-06 – My captain has found his look-a-like!

2010-01-17 – All dressed up and nowhere to go!

2010-09-12 – DN, low resolution and lots on the screen.

2010-11-02 – Crowded auctioneer in 21st hall

2010-12-05 – School, or is it Library? Never could keep those two apart

I’ve been quiet for quite some time now, but there’s been a good reason for it.

I’ve been in the Helms Deep Beta since Beta1, and simply didn’t want to risk breaking the NDA by mistake. But today the NDA has been dropped, and I think it’s time I give my view on what can be expected Nov 18 when HD rolls out.

Class revamp
It’s been known for quite some time now that there would be a major class revamp with Helms Deep. I completely understand the reason why the decision to revamp the classes this way was made, but I can tell you that I am very, very dissapointed in the way it’s been done.
You will not recognize your class anymore.
Hybrid builds will barely exist
Many of your skills will be gone.

I’ve played this game for almost five years now, and in that time I have gotten to know, and learned to love, the classes in this game. I love the way I have a massive array of skills to choose from, and the fact that I have had the option to choose exactly what traits I’ve wanted. And I would actually say that this is what really sets Lotro apart from many other MMO’s.

The problem with this system is that while this was all well and balanced at 60, or even 65, it has now become evident that most classes are actually very overpowered. Just take a look at the champion, they have 2 big bubbles, a full morale heal, massive single target and AOE dps. It’s going to be really difficult to create challenging endgame content when all classes are basically godmode. So under normal circumstances, I would actually be ok with this change, because even if it’s poorly implemented (which it unfortunately is), it’s something that needed to happen sooner or later.

But if the reason for the changes to the classes were to enable the developers to once again create challenging content for the players, why is there no such endgame coming with Helms Deep?

Because noone in their right mind will be able to call the Epic Battles and endgame. First of all, you can start them at level 10, so what’s the point of raising the level cap to 95 in the first place? There is no new endgame that actually requires you to be at the level cap, and there’s no such endgame in sight either, as Turbine have stated that the Epic Battles is the only group content planned for HD.

The only reason I see to level up to 95 would be to experience the old scaled content with the nine new classes we get with this expansion, it’s just a shame I won’t ever get to try them again with the nine old classes, because they are gone forever.

How Turbine could go forward with these changes after the uproar among beta testers from day one is beyond me, and it really proves that Turbine has completely stopped listening to a major part of their players.

I’m sure there will be a major boost in player numbers when HD goes live, there always is when a new expansion comes. But that boost will pale in comparison to the drop of players we will see within a few months of the release. Turbine has already gotten rid of a large chunk of raiders and PvP’ers, and now the axe comes down hard on those who have endured the hard times of horrible RoR lair-raids and massive lag in Etten in the hopes of brighter times ahead. But instead of actually fixing what is broken in the game they throw more things noone asked for at us.

I have not bought HD, and have no intention of doing so, paying that much for another 3 books of the epic quest line and a few glorifed skirmishes is something I wont do. I will probably play for quite some time yet as no other (released) game has really caught my interest, but I think that I will probably spend most of my time creep side until the day it’s time for me to find another game.